This invention relates to a portable illumination device according to the characterizing clause of claim 1.
During large events, especially outdoor concerts of popular music groups and similar performers, some members of the audience like to use illumination devices to express their support for a particular song or singer.
The selection of available illumination devices ranges from flashlights to cigarette lighters to sparklers, where cigarette lightersxe2x80x94and especially modern gas lightersxe2x80x94enjoy great popularity.
The German Gebrauchsmuster DE 94 16 100 U1 discloses a torch holder manufactured from several pieces made of wood. The torch holder comprises a round bar as its carrier, whichxe2x80x94at one endxe2x80x94carries a holding device for a candle or a torch.
A wooden plate attached to the bottom of the holding device is penetrated by the round bar inserted into the holding device and protects at least the person carrying the torch from the flame or falling residue of combustion.
Known illumination devices have the disadvantage consisting in the fact that, on the one hand, during the use of such devices at public events, especially at festivities attended by a large crowd, the flame is freely accessible thus creating a source of danger, and, on the other hand, e.g., with a sparkler or a torch, residue of combustion may fall off.
Furthermore, the open, unprotected flame canxe2x80x94under the influence of the windxe2x80x94flash out and thus affect even a larger range in an unfavorable manner.
Persons within a close range of an operated illumination device are especially endangered since burns or damage to their clothing can not always be excluded. This danger is even enhanced with the crowd gradually getting excited and losing general caution.
Based on the shortcomings of previous art, this invention""s task is to disclose an illumination device of the aforementioned type that provides a higher user value due to an improved fire protection.
This task is fulfilled by the features of the characterizing clause in claim 1.
This invention comprises the knowledge that fire-protection improvements of an illumination device with open flame are attainable by designing measures that substantially impede direct access to the open flame, and restrict, as much as possible, the effect of weather-dependent circumstances.
According to this invention, the portable illumination device for the production of light effects is equipped with a carrier with inserted light-emitting device operated with an open flame. In order to reduce the danger posed by an open flame to the maximum and in an advantageous manner, the carrier comprises a handle that is substantially configured as a hollow cylinder, which carries a shield-type flame protector at one end.
According to a preferred design version of the invention, the flame protection is designed as a spherical cap installed on the handle in a rotationally symmetrical manner. Such fire-protection device ensures, in a simple manner, a safety distance between the open flame and combustible objects and, at the same time, restricts direct access to the open flame.
The light-emitting device is a gas lighter arranged inside the handle. The gas lighter is designed in the form of a cylinder and can be easily inserted inside the handle. In order to ensure that the control elements are always accessible with this arrangement of the gas lighter, the cylinder wall of the handle of the illumination device according to this invention comprises, in an advantageous manner and at its end opposite to the fire-protection device, an essentially notch-like expansion extending along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. It is sufficient for the width of the notch to be about 25% of the cylinder circumference, and for the notch length to be at least 50% of the length of the handle. The gas lighter is advantageously designed as a refillable gas lighter. For safety reasons, the [combustion occurs and] flame exists only while the operator presses the control element; as soon as the control element is released, the flame extinguishes.
According to a preferred design version of this invention, the inner wall of the illumination device""s handle, which is open at both ends, comprises a holding device for the gas lighter that fixes the gas lighter in a position required for its lighting if the illumination device is to be used.
In an advantageous design form of the illumination device according to this invention, the holding device is designed as a leaf spring extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the handle. The gas lighter inserted in the carrier presses the leaf spring against the cylindrical inner wall of the handlexe2x80x94while overcoming the leaf spring""s forcexe2x80x94thus producing a force component pressing the shell surface of the gas lighter against the delimiting edges of the opposite notch-like expansion.
The leaf spring""s end opposite to the spherical cap is glued, in a suitable manner, to the inner wall of the handle. This arrangement allows the leaf spring to sufficiently extend.
According to another advantageous design version of this invention, the fire-protection component of the illumination device comprises an additional wind shield designed to reduce the danger of undesired flashing out of the flame due to airflow. The wind shield-is designed in the form of a tube attached, in a detachable manner, by inserting on a ring flange inside the cap-like flame protection device. The inner diameter of the wind shield and the outer diameter of the ring flange are designed in such a manner as to create a sufficient form and frictional closure and connection between the wind shield and the ring flange so that the wind shield can still be safely attached even after multiple removals.
The wind shield comprises, at one end and on its inner wall, a chamfering allowing to easily slip the wind shield on the end of the handle opposite to the spherical flame-protection cap whenever the wind shield is not being used. The slipping of the wind shield on this end of the handle ensures not only its safe storage but, at the same time, serves the purpose of supporting the force of the leaf spring fixing the gas lighter.
In order to achieve a sufficient protection against undesired effects of air flow, it suffices that the wind shield overlaps the upper edge of the flame protection device by about one third of its length.
An advantageous variant of the invention comprises the carrier of the illumination device fabricated as an aluminum injection-molded part. This makes the carrier fireproof, sufficiently mechanically stable, and allows economical manufacturing of this part in mass production. The spherical flame protector can be attached to the handle also in a detachable manner.